Process for making a vegetable fat composition with an increased amount of sn2 positioned palmitic acid

A vegetable fat composition having palmitic acid present in the sn2 position manufactured according to a process for making a final vegetable fat composition with palmitic acid increased in the sn2 position compared to a starting vegetable fat composition, the process comprising the following steps:

• a. mixing a starting vegetable fat composition with a first fatty acid mixture to obtain a first process mixture, wherein the starting vegetable fat composition comprises between 15% and 75% by weight of palmitic acid in the triglycerides compared to the total weight of fatty acids in the triglycerides in the starting vegetable fat composition and the first fatty acid mixture comprises at least 75% by weight of palmitic acid (C16:0) and/or non-glyceride esters thereof compared to the total weight of fatty acids and nonglyceride esters thereof in the first fatty acid mixture;
• b. performing a first transesterification process to the first process mixture to obtain a first transesterified mixture comprising a mixture of free fatty acids and/or non-glyceride esters thereof and transesterified triglycerides;
• c. separating the free fatty acids and/or non-glyceride esters thereof from the transesterified triglycerides of the first transesterified mixture to obtain an intermediate vegetable fat composition and a first mixture of excess free fatty acids and/or nonglyceride esters thereof;
• d. mixing the intermediate vegetable fat composition with a second fatty acid mixture to obtain a second process mixture, wherein the second fatty acid mixture comprises 10% or less by weight of palmitic acid and/or non-glyceride esters thereof compared to the total weight of fatty acids and non-glyceride esters thereof in the second fatty acid mixture;
• e. performing a second transesterification process to the second process mixture by use of one or more 1,3-specific lipases to obtain a second transesterified mixture comprising a mixture of free fatty acids and/or non-glyceride esters thereof and transesterified triglycerides;
• f. separating the free fatty acids and/or non-glyceride esters thereof from the transesterified triglycerides of the second transesterified mixture to obtain the final vegetable fat composition with palmitic acid increased in the sn2 position compared to the starting vegetable fat composition and a second mixture of excess free fatty acids and/or non-glyceride esters thereof;
• g. fractionating the first mixture of excess free fatty acids and/or non-glyceride esters thereof to obtain at least a first palmitic acid rich fraction and a first palmitic acid sparse fraction, wherein the first palmitic acid rich fraction comprises at least 75% by weight of palmitic acid and/or non-glyceride esters thereof compared to the total weight of fatty acids and non-glyceride esters thereof in the first palmitic acid rich fraction and the first palmitic acid sparse fraction preferably comprises 15% or less by weight of palmitic acid and/or non-glyceride esters thereof compared to the total weight of fatty acids and non-glyceride esters thereof in the first palmitic acid sparse fraction:
• h. fractionating the second mixture of excess free fatty acids and/or non-glyceride esters thereof to obtain at least a second palmitic acid rich fraction and a second palmitic acid sparse fraction, wherein the second palmitic acid rich fraction comprises at least 75% by weight of palmitic acid and/or non-glyceride esters thereof compared to the total weight of fatty acids and non-glyceride esters thereof in the second palmitic acid rich fraction and the second palmitic acid sparse fraction preferably comprises 15% or less by weight of palmitic acid and/or non-glyceride esters thereof compared to the total weight of fatty acids and non-glyceride esters thereof in the second palmitic acid sparse fraction;
• and
• i. using at least the first and second palmitic acid rich fractions as at least a part of the first fatty acid mixture in a subsequent process restarting from step a with a new amount of starting vegetable fat composition.